What options do we have?

[DanielP]

Hi, thanks for the speedy reply Casa you've been extremely helpful.

I've not yet read through those forms I will take the time to read 'Family settlement application form VAF4A', 'Appendix 2 of VAF4A: financial requirements' and 'Guide to supporting documents: settlement (in English)' today.

The overtime is guaranteed and I will exceed the threshold.
We are engaged currently and have been since I left Mexico.

my base salary is 15.5 but with guaranteed overtime the months will vary but would exceed £1562 per month (18,744 annual)
" What is your sponsor’s annual income from this employment before tax?" I'm wondering if this would be an issue.

Does her income in mexico/savings help towards the application process with me being her sponsor?

Thanks
Daniel

[Casa]

Your fiancee's income won't be considered in the calculation. Bear in mind that she will have to pass the pre-entry A1 English test before submitting her visa application.

[DanielP]

Thanks Casa

[Casa]

It's essential that you read through all the requirements thoroughly. You can be refused for something as simple as one pay slip or bank statement missing.

[DanielP]

Hi,

Summary:
*Been in a relationship whilst living in Mexico with my now Fiancée from Jan>June who is Mexican and has a Mexican passport. Returned to the UK of which I am a citizen to gain employment. Landed a job earning >£20k per annum. She visited in Oct, I proposed, continued our relationship during this time whilst being separated.
I've almost got 6 payslips proving an income of >greater 18.6k per annum. She is employed in Mex.

Questions:

Which visa do we actually need to apply for? Have the rules changed and I need to be earning more than this amount to be a eligible sponsor?

She undertook an IELTS test at a test centre not on this listhttp://www.ielts.org/test_takers_inform ... ation.aspx, which I assume is worthless towards our application.

Providing she takes her test at an approved centre and the life skills component and I submit my pay slips, are there any other key parts I'm missing?

Thank you all very much in advance.

This process is killing me!

[Casa]

You will need to apply for fiance visa, which will require you to submit evidence that you are preparing for a wedding in the UK within 6 months of the visa issue date.
6 months payslips - originals
6 months bank statements - originals or stamped by issuing bank.
Letter from your employer on company headed paper, confirming your employment and salary
Minimum income is still £18,600 per annum
Your fiancee's income in Mexico is irrelevant.

Your fiance will have to take an English test that is on the approved list.

[DanielP]

Thanks Casa what about the life skills component is that not necessary for this visa?

Kind regards,

Daniel

[Casa]

Life in the UK test won't be required until she qualifies to apply for permanent residence (ILR) at the end of the 5 year period of probationary residence.

Ensure you apply for a fiancee visa, and not the cheaper 'marriage visitor visa' which would require her to return to Mexico after the wedding. Once you are married your wife will apply for her first 2.5 year spouse visa extension on form FLR(M). At this stage she will also have to pay the NHS surcharge online of £500 in addition to the visa fee.

[DanielP]

Hey Casa,

Thanks for your help

I'm at a bit of a loss when it comes to which IELTS test my Fiancée will need to take on this table.

If I had to guess i'd say it was the General Visa...

https://gyazo.com/19caa705010d538cb20f3cd23f8f3bc4

Is there a difference for tier 1 and tier 2 general visa?

She is looking to get the IELTS which will enable her to immigrate on a Fiancée visa to get married here in 6 months.

Kind regards,
Daniel

[Casa]

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/s ... ebsite.pdf

Scroll down to table 3 for approved tests & test centres outside of the UK. Level A1 required. Your fiance isn't applying under Tier 1 or Tier 2 General.

[DanielP]

Hi casa,

I'm not sure what you meant in your last message when you said level A1 required I'm checking the website for ielts and it says this

IELTS Academic for UKVI
IELTS General Training for UKVI
IELTS Life Skills A1
IELTS Life Skills B1
It is important that you know which IELTS UKVI test you are required to take for your UK visa application. All types of UKVI IELTS tests are designed to meet the requirements of UKVI for different visa categories. To find out more about IELTS for UKVI, visit http://www.ielts.org/uk.

You mentioned before life skills is not necessary
So would it be the general training one for ukvi needed to take for a fiancé visa application, thanks for all your help I think they make this quite unclear.

Daniel

[vinny]

Probably:

IELTS Life Skills at A1 – Pass

IELTS for UKVI2 – 4.0 in Speaking and Listening

IELTS for UKVI can be used where IELTS Life Skills is used; test takers would need to get 4.0 or above in Speaking and Listening (scores for Reading and Writing will be ignored).

[DanielP]

Probably:

IELTS Life Skills at A1 – Pass

IELTS for UKVI2 – 4.0 in Speaking and Listening

IELTS for UKVI can be used where IELTS Life Skills is used; test takers would need to get 4.0 or above in Speaking and Listening (scores for Reading and Writing will be ignored).

So to clarify for my girlfriend to qualify for a fiancé visa she will only need to take the general training ielts ukvi exam and not the life skills component at this stage?

IELTS for UKVI2 – 4.0 in Speaking and Listening

Kind regards,
Daniel

[Casa]

You're confusing 'Life skills' with the Life in the UK test, which won't be required until ILR is applied for in 5 years time.

[DanielP]

Hello all, hope you all had a good christmas!

My friend told me that if I submit the application for a fiancée visa and it were to get turned down due to me not submitting all of the required information or even something as small as not using block capitals I would lose the fee to apply, is this true?

How many people apply without the use of a company that specialises in a no win no fee type deal? Should I explore this option given I'm pretty clueless/inexperienced on this application process.

Kind regards,

Daniel.

*Also, does this website provide reviews on companies such as this?*

[CR001]

It doesn't matter who or how you apply through, if the visa is refused you lose the visa application fee. A solicitor or advisor cannot guarantee success and most will charge a fee for their service. I have not heard of a 'no win no fee' immigration help service.

You will not be refused a visa for 'not using block letters'! Don't listen to 'friends' at the pub!!

We are not allowed to recommend firms but you can see these two links, but bear in mind that some immigration advisors are not always up to date with the latest rules and will rip your off Find an immigration adviser and OSIC

Of course, we offer our time and advice for free, your choice.

[DanielP]

Hello all,

Seeking your expert advice please

I'm unsure about the likely success of our application.

Me and my Mexican Fiance would like to both live together at my UK address where I work and earn more than £20k per annum I am a UK citizen. By the time we apply she will have the necessary IELTS test.

Do I need to have lived with her previously for a length of time as a requirement for a Fiance visa application? We have been together for Jan-June in Mexico and continued our relationship long distance which we could document through E-mails,Whatsapp. Since returning to the UK I now have 6x pay slips showing I meet the requirement but don't have 12 payslips showing this.

Could someone kindly link me to the correct fiance visa application forms she would need to complete? I'm using the direct gov site and I'm unsure if this link is the correct one we'd need. https://www.gov.uk/remain-in-uk-family

Kind regards,
and thanks for all your continued help.

Daniel

[CR001]

Why have you started a new thread when you have already been getting a lot advice in your other thread. I have merged your new post with your existing post.

Asking the same questions gain will not change the answer that you have already been given.

[Casa]

NO! Not 'apply to remain with family' as she's not in the UK yet! As you've previously been advised it's Apply to Join Family.
https://www.gov.uk/join-family-in-uk/overview

Also as I believe your've already been advised, proof of 2 years of co-habitation is NOT required. This is only for an unmarried partner visa, which you're NOT applying for.
Read through the previous lengthy advise and I'm sure you'll find the answers you are now searching for again.

[DanielP]

Hi, apologies for the last post I made. I have since read through the information again.

I have tried to contact IELTS about this problem I'm having but they won't advise me on what is correct.

In the below image it shows the accepted IELTS test locations in mexico for the visa. However on their website the location is not exactly the same. I need to know if the ones they have on their website are the correct location or not so my fiancée can take the exam there. Is there someone I should direct this to other than here so I can find out?

https://i.gyazo.com/c6be9058e99fa156d72 ... 5809ec.png
https://i.gyazo.com/0e3a522c5c7b34d6c4d ... 795159.png

Thanks in advance,

Daniel

[CR001]

Seems to be the same place to me.

[DanielP]

Okay so my fiancée took the general training exam and scored a B1 which is higher than the required A1.
The issue is I want to verify it's validity since she took it at an affiliated IELTS test centre but I'm not convinced it's UKVI approved since it's a different address to the ones featured in the table. Also using the code she has It says "only IELTS Recognising Organisations can apply to access this service".

Before she takes the same exam again in another part of Mexico how can I find out if the one she passed is accepted or not towards the fiancée visa to avoid loss of time and money for something that might be accepted.

Thanks in advance,

Daniel

[CR001]

Suggest then you contact HO or UKVI call centre to ask them.

[Casa]

Suggest then you contact HO or UKVI call centre to ask them.

...or the centre where the test was taken.

[DanielP]

Thanks for the options.

It seems IELTS don't want to risk advising incorrectly.

Anyhow! I found out what I think is good news I just wondered if you lovely people could check this over for me.

https://gyazo.com/b65cdcdace0f511b354a2bd025ce9977

MX026

and the certificate she just received shows: MX026 even though it was taken in a different city I think they go under the same centre number.

So now she has B1 certificate in general training I believe no other IELTS tests are required.

Regarding finances, I've printed off 6x work pay slips and I can also provide the bank statements post deductions too.

I think it is finally time to fill out the VAF4A!

Thanks for all the help so far.